Three dimensional (3-D) programming, such as videos, movies, television programs and the like, are becoming increasingly available to viewers. Specialized viewing equipment has been developed to facilitate presentation of the 3-D programming. One exemplary 3-D programming presentation technology employs liquid crystal display (LCD) shutter glasses that the viewer views through when looking at the presented 3-D program content.
To achieve the 3-D effect using a 3-D LCD shutter glass presentation system, the 3-D programming is presented as an alternating series of video frames that are alternatively viewed by the viewer's left and right eyes. As the left side and right side images are alternatively presented on a display, the corresponding lens of the LCD shutter glasses alternatively transition between a transparent state and an opaque state in synchronism with the alternatively presented left side and right side images.
The transitioning between the transparent state and the opaque state of the lens of the shutter glasses is controlled by synchronization timing information in a synchronization signal associated with the presented 3-D program content. The synchronization signal may be provided in a variety of manners. For example, the synchronization signal may be provided wirelessly in an infrared or radio frequency signal that is separately transmitted to the shutter glasses. Alternatively, a light-based synchronization signal may be incorporated into the 3-D video stream, such as in the backlighting or other portion of the presented video information.
Such 3-D LCD shutter glasses presentation systems operate satisfactorily when there is one presentation device presenting the 3-D program content on its display, and when there are one or more viewers using their LCD shutter glasses to view the 3-D program content since the same single synchronization signal is used by each of the shutter glasses. However, if there are multiple presentation devices presenting different 3-D program content, then there will be multiple synchronization signals. Accordingly, it may be difficult for a user to get their particular LCD shutter glasses to synchronize to the synchronization signal corresponding to the 3-D program content that they are interested in viewing.
For example, a sports bar or the like may have many televisions (TVs) presenting a variety of different sporting events in the 3-D format. Since the LCD shutter glasses must synchronize to a single synchronization signal, the viewer is limited to viewing only the sporting event that is associated with the synchronization signal. The viewer cannot satisfactorily view other sporting events that are being displayed on the other TVs since those other sporting events are synchronized to a different synchronization signal.
As another example, a show room or other venue may be presenting multiple different video presentations in a 3-D format. To illustrate, an automobile dealership may be presenting different 3-D advertising videos on the different makes and models of automobiles, SUVs, and/or trucks that are available for the automobile dealership. In this example, one or more LCD shutter glasses that are synchronized to a particular 3-D advertising video are not able to view other 3-D advertising videos that are being presented in the showroom.
Accordingly, there is a need in the arts to provide greater flexibility in the deployment of shutter glasses or the like used in a 3-D presentation environment where multiple presentation devices are concurrently presenting different 3-D program content.